Cash aid useless if electricity tariffs rise, PH leaders tell govt

 

DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng and Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub said the government’s cash aid will not help the people if they have to pay more for electricity.

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders have criticised the government’s additional cash aid, saying it will not benefit the people, especially in the wake of Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) raising electricity tariffs next month.

In separate statements, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob should have prohibited TNB from increasing electricity tariffs next month, while Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub said it was inappropriate to raise the tariffs while the public was struggling to cope with rising living costs.

Lim called Ismail’s RM630 million financial aid “disappointing” and said it was “not comprehensive”.

“As a start, he should have announced that TNB will not not be permitted to increase electricity tariffs from next month,” he said.

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He pointed out that TNB’s net profit at the end of the 2021 financial year had risen to RM3.66 billion, compared to RM3.59 billion the previous year.

“Clearly, TNB is in a position to absorb rising gas and coal prices,” he said.

Salahuddin said the announcement of additional cash aid would prove useless to the people if they had to pay higher electricity bills.

“The government must postpone raising electricity tariffs until the food price crisis is resolved,” he said.

The Cabinet is due to revise electricity tariffs on July 1 because of a surge in coal prices, which would lead to higher production costs.

Yesterday, Ismail announced an increase in the Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) cash aid, given the removal of certain subsidies and ceiling prices as well as the rising cost of goods. - FMT